Missy Higgins voices her desire for change

Missy Higgins has never been afraid to speak up for what she believes in.

On Monday night, she appeared on the ABC’s Q&A, imploring the government to change its policy around refugees and to allow more people asylum in Australia.

“I don’t want to get on a soap box and preach anything, I just think it’s important to express your opinions whenever you’re asked or whenever you get an opportunity to contribute positively to the public conversation,” Higgins told AAP.

The singer tends to put her music where her mouth is, having released the poignant song Oh Canada in 2016, dedicated to the memory of three-year-old Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi, who drowned on his way to Greece, via boat, to seek asylum.

She is also about to release a new album, Solastalgia, her first original record in six years which deals with issues like climate change, continuing that desire to use her platform for good.

“I realise that it can get a bit tiring when celebrities keep standing up and spruiking their causes (but) I think it’s an opportunity that is really special and I don’t want to waste that and I don’t want to abuse that,” she said.

“Ultimately I think my role is just to keep the conversation going. I don’t know any more than anyone else and my opinion isn’t worth any more than anyone else’s, but I think it’s important to stay a part of that conversation.”

Higgins, who is expecting her second baby, said she felt inspired by the arrival of her first son in 2015 to write new music. He gave her hope and a desire to protect the earth for his future.

“The first song I wrote for this album is called Starting Again and it’s about having a child in an unstable climate and all the anxieties surrounding that, climate change and politics, and just the mental process of working through that with my partner. The arrival of our son kind of changed everything, gave us a renewed sense of hope and a feeling of starting again,” she said.

“I think you have no choice but to feel optimistic and hopeful when you have a child because otherwise you have no motivation to contribute to a healthy positive future. So I think it’s been a really good motivation for all of us in our family to try and work towards a future that feels a little bit more secure for our son.”

* Solastalgia is released on April 27. Missy Higgins begins a national tour from May 2.

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